Device for cutting and dispensing pieces of paper



A. T. DEMING Jan. 14, 1964 DEVICE FOR CUTTING AND DISPENSING PIECES OF PAPER Filed June 28, 1962 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS I 57 I 'll United States Patent 3,117,478 DEVlCE F011 CUTTING AND BESPENSZNG 8F l Alii-R Arthur '1. Deming, 133i) Shortridge Lane, Albany, Greg. Filedliune 2'8, 1952, Ser. No. 206,099 2 Claims. (Cl. 83-202) This invention relates to a device for cutting and dispensing pieces of paper to leave a trail of paper, and has as its primary object the provision of a hand operated device which may be carried by a hiker, a huntsman, a fisherman, or other individual traveling in, for example, Wooded country, which will enable him to leave a trail of paper by which he may retrace his steps.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which, upon actuation, advances a predetermined length from a roll of paper and, in the same operation, severs the same allowing severed pieces to fall to the ground to leave an easily retraceable trail.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character for leaving a paper trail, by means of which an individual may be followed by another or other individuals as in the childs game of hare and hounds.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of device embodying the instant inventive concept, showing the cover thereof removed.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIGURE 1 showing the cover in position, and certain associated elements thereof.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, there is generally indicated at 11 a casing which includes a bottom 11 and a peripheral side wall 12, the latter having an elongated slot 13 in its extremity, through which a piece of paper 14 is extended from a strip 15, which in turn comprises an integral part of a roll 16 of paper rotatably mounted on a stud or axle 17 carried by base 11.

The roll 15 passes between a first feed roller 16a, which is provided on its top surface with a raised boss 17a having a plurality of ratchet teeth 18 thereon, the teeth 18 lying in a plane parallel to the base 11, and being engaged by a pawl 19 which is spring biased as by means of a spring 21 toward the teeth 18. Pawl 19 and spring 26) are carried by a cover 21 which is normally positioned on the device, and which includes an annular rim, not shown, overlying the top of the side wall 11, and which is secured in position by any desired conventional detent means. Feed roller 16a may be comprised of wood, metal, plastic, or any other desired material, and is provided with a peripheral rim 22 which provides a frictional Contact with a similar peripheral rim or sleeve 23 carried by a second feed roller 24 which may also be comprised of any desired conventional material. The sleeve 23 is also comprised of rubber, and serves frictionally to feed the extending portion 15 of paper roll 16 toward slot 13, when moved in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter. Feed roller 16a is mounted on a perpendic- 3,1 1?,418 Patented Jan. 14,1984

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ular axle 25 extending from base 11, while feed roller 24 is similarly mounted on an axle. 26.

A horizontally disposed ratchet wheel 27 is also mounted on post or axle 26, and lies in a plane parallel to base 11, with the teeth extending in the same plane, instead of perpendicularly tothe base as do the teeth 13 of the previously described feed roller 16a.

The'teeth 2.8 of ratchet 27 are engaged by a pawl 2? which is pivotally mounted on a pivot post -30 and which is biased by meansof a spring 31 toward the teeth-28. Spring 31 is connected between a pin 32 carried by pawl 29 and a second pin 33 carried by the base 11.

Raised boss 17a is surrounded by an annular sleeve 35 of rubber or similar friction material, which; is tightly engaged by a cord or similar flexible member 3d which is connected at one of its ends 37 to a tension spring 321, the other end of which is connected to a pin 39 carried by base 11, the tension of spring 38 constantly biasing cord or flexible member 36' into engagement with friction sleeve 35.

Cord 3-6-is also secured to a pin 40 carried by one arm 41 of a bell crank lever 42 which is pivotally mounted as on a pivot or axle 43 carried by base 11 and extends from pin 40 through an opening 44 in the lower wall 12 of casing 19, this provided with a handle member 45. The other arm 46 of bell crank lever 42 carries at its lower end a blade 47, which is adapted, by its engagement with a shear plate 48 secured to base 11 and wall 12 to sever the end 14 from the extending portion 15 of paper roll 16.

A pair of spaced guide plates 49 and 50 direct the extending portion 15 of paper roll 16 downwardly into close juxtaposition with shear plate 48 so as to be in a position to be advanced through slot =13 and severed by blade 47.

A tension spring 51 is connected at one end to a pin 52 carried by base 11 and at its other end to a pin 53 car ried by arm 41 of hell crank lever 42 and normally biases blade 47 away from shear plate 48.

Suitable hooks or loops 55 are provided on the rear of base 11 to enable the device to be secured to the belt or person of the user.

Fromthe foregoing the use and operation of the device should now be readily understandable. At selected intervals the user of the device pulls handle 45, which in turn moves cord or flexible member 36 to rotate through raised boss 17a, feed roller 16a. The sleeve 22 biasing against sleeve 23 of feed roller 24 engages the extending end 15 of the paper roll 16 to move the strip downwardly to extrude the piece 14, of any previously selected length, through the slot 13. Pawls 19' and 29 prevent retraction of the feed rollers upon release of the handle 45 at which time the spring 38 retracts cord 36 inwardly around raised boss 17a to be ready for another pull when it is desired to extrude an additional strip of paper. Simultaneously with the above-described action, the cord 36 through its engagement with pin 40, moves bell crank lever 42 to engage blade 47 with shear plate 48 and consequently to sever extending portion 14 of the paper. This operation may be repeated at frequent or infrequent intervals as desired, and the severed pieces of paper 14 falling to the ground leave a readily visible trail which may be followed either by the user in retracting his own steps, or by anyone following him for any desired reason.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved paper cutting and dispensing device for leaving a trail of pieces of paper which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

'I claim:

1. A device for dispensing pieces of paper comprising a housing having a slotted opening therein, a roll of paper mounted in said housing, means for dispensing the end of said paper roll through said opening, means for severing the portion of the end of said roll protruding from said housing at a predetermined length, means for simultaneously operating said dispensing and severing means, said means for dispensing said end of said paper roll comprising a pair of rotatable juxtaposed feed rollers, the peripheral rims of which are provided with material for frictional contact between said feed rollers, a ratchet on one of said rollers having teeth lying in a plane parallel to the base, a spring pawl in said housing engaging said ratchet to preclude retrograde motion thereof, a flexible member having an end extending out of said housing, a handle on the extending end, spring means connecting the other end of said flexible member to the inside of said casing, a boss on the other of said feed rollers, said flexible member engaging said boss to rotate said other feed roller by friction, and ratchet means comprising a toothed wheel mounted on the same axle with and parallel to the plane of said other feed roller the teeth of said toothed wheel extending peripherally and a second pawl mounted on the housing and engaged by said toothed wheel to preclude retrograde movement of said other feed roller.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said severing means comprises a shear plate adjacent to said opening, a bell crank lever mounted in said housing adjacent said end of said roll of paper, a blade mounted on the end of and carried by one arm of said bell crank lever engageable with said shear plate, spring means connected between the other arm of said bell crank lever and said housing biasing said blade away from said shear plate, and said means for simultaneously actuating said severing means with said feed means comprising a pin mounted on said other arm of said bell crank lever, and connected to said flexible member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 345,052 Harrison July 6, 1886 1,045,347 Wight'man Nov. 26, 1912 2,720,262 Hanson Oct. 11, 1955 2,792,885 Greene May 21, 1957 3,063,322 Thomas Nov. 13, 1962 

1. A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING PIECES OF PAPER COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A SLOTTED OPENING THEREIN, A ROLL OF PAPER MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR DISPENSING THE END OF SAID PAPER ROLL THROUGH SAID OPENING, MEANS FOR SEVERING THE PORTION OF THE END OF SAID ROLL PROTRUDING FROM SAID HOUSING AT A PREDETERMINED LENGTH, MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY OPERATING SAID DISPENSING AND SEVERING MEANS, SAID MEANS FOR DISPENSING SAID END OF SAID PAPER ROLL COMPRISING A PAIR OF ROTATABLE JUXTAPOSED FEED ROLLERS, THE PERIPHERAL RIMS OF WHICH ARE PROVIDED WITH MATERIAL FOR FRICTIONAL CONTACT BETWEEN SAID FEED ROLLERS, A RATCHET ON ONE OF SAID ROLLERS HAVING TEETH LYING IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE BASE, A SPRING PAWL IN SAID HOUSING ENGAGING SAID RATCHET TO PRECLUDE RETROGRADE MOTION THEREOF, A FLEXIBLE MEMBER HAVING AN END EXTENDING OUT OF SAID HOUSING, A HANDLE ON THE EXTENDING END, SPRING MEANS CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER TO THE INSIDE OF SAID CASING, A BOSS ON THE OTHER OF SAID FEED ROLLERS, SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER ENGAGING SAID BOSS TO ROTATE SAID OTHER FEED ROLLER BY FRICTION, AND RATCHET MEANS COMPRISING A TOOTHED WHEEL MOUNTED ON THE SAME AXLE WITH AND PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID OTHER FEED ROLLER THE TEETH OF SAID TOOTHED WHEEL EXTENDING PERIPHERALLY AND A SECOND PAWL MOUNTED ON THE HOUSING AND ENGAGED BY SAID TOOTHED WHEEL TO PRECLUDE RETROGRADE MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER FEED ROLLER. 